Drilling apparatus



May 27, 1924; l W. Z. ALLEN DR ILLING APPARATUS Filed sept. 5, 1922atroz u ms Patented May 27, 1924.

UNITED STATES WALTER Z. ALLEN, 0F GRAHAM, TEXAS.

DRILLING APPARATUS.

Application led September 5, 1922. Serial No. 586,199.

Y o all whom it may comer/lb.'

Be it known thatl I,Av WALTER Z. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Graham, in the county of Young and State of Texas, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Drilling Apparatus, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in drilling rigs and pertainsparticularl to apparatus for drilling deep wells, sucv as oil wells.

'A well drilling apparatus generally employed consists of a walkinglbeam which extends over to a derrick or to a tower in a vertical linewith the hole to be drilled, and is connected at the opposite end bymeans of a pitman and suitable driving levers and connections to anengine or other source of power. Suspended from the free end of thewalking beam is the drilling rope which extends downwardly into thewell, and on the lower end of the rope drilling tools are attached. Theoperation of drilling is to lift this rope by the movement yof thewalkingv beam and then permit the tools to drop as the walkingbeamdescends, thus giving the necessary stroke for the cutting ordrilling of the earth or rock. One very important roblem involved in theoperation of drilllngapparatus includes 'the feature of lifting the ropeand lowering it again without causing stretching of the rope in theupward movement. It has been .found desirable in accepted practice toraise the tools at a rate of speed slower than that at which the ropeand tools are permitted to drop, this rate of upward movement being slowand. constant to avoid jerking and stretching of the cable.

The present invention providesv an improved form of drilling apparatusof the general character just described, being modified andAsupplemented to provide the following improvements. The invention makesit possible to operate the drill cable with the desired slow upward pulland relatively quick downward movement with the use of a uniform speedsource of power, such as the commercial, constant speed, stationary,internal combustion engine. Heretofore, in cases where steam engineswere used, it was common to manipulate the throttle valve of the steamengine for each raising movement of the cable, or else to have the drillropel raised and lowered at' equal speeds.

In addition to the above feature the in sliding engagement with a leverwhich is pivoted for movement laterally and also vertically and has itspivotal point adjustable lengthwise on the lever and also lengthwise onthe member which supports it. By

.this arrangement the'lever may be swung to one side to disengage fromthe crank pin when the-drilling apparatus is not being operated.

The above general features and advantages of the invention are describedin detail in the following specification and claims and illustrated inthe accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 represents a side view of a drilling rig embodying theparticular apparatus of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the particular slotted lever connectingthe crank pin and the pitman, and illustrating pivoted mounting for thelever; and

Figure 3 represents-a perspective view of the level' shown in Figure 2,looking downward upon the lever which is shown as disen aged from thecrank pin.

ike parts in the various figures of the dsawing are identified by likereference characters.

Referring in detail tothe drawings: Figure 1, a well tower is shownat 1. A walking beam lever 2 is pivotally mounted on an uprightsupporting post 3 and has one end projecting beneath the tower, and fromthis end a drill rope or cable 2a extends downwardly. At thel oppositeend of the Walking beam 2 from the tower is a ptman 4c connected t0 thewalking beam 2 at the point 5, being a suitable pivotalconnection whichmay be a yoke clamping the end of the walking beam and held in place bya clamping plate secured to the upper face of the walking beam 2. At thelower end of the pitman 4 is a yoke 6 which has an opening adapted toreceive the width of the end of a lever 7 and can be connected thereto.as will be described. The lever 7 serves vas the connecting elementbetween a crank arm and the pitman 4. -The lever is provided with aslotted opening extending laterally therethrough and lengthwise thereofand vIl() ver.

mit;

having upper and lower walls 7d formed as continuations of the mainportion of the le- Through the upper and lower walls 7a are a series ofopenings 7b extending downwardly therethrough for the reception of`fastening pins or bolts, as will be described.

At the end of the lever adjacent the clamp' pin is a slotted openingextendin laterally therethrough and lengthwisel o the lever, 'and havingthe enclosing walls 7 c. The pitman yoke 5 is adapted to be removablysecured to the lever 7 by being held in place at the extreme end of thelever 7, and at the end opposite to the point of connection of thepitman 4 is a balance Weight 7f, which serves to balance the greaterlength and vweight of the lever on the opposite side of the pivot pointfrom it.

rlhe particular pivotal mounting for the lever 7 will now be described.Secured to the upright supporting post 8 is a block member 9 which has awidth from its upper face to its lower face substantially the same asthe distance between the upper and lower walls 7, that is, the same asthe width of the slot. The block 9 is adapted to it and be movablebetween the walls 7 1. A fastening pivot pin or bolt 10 extends from theouter face of the block into or through the supporting post 8, andcarriesthe entire weight of the lever. Asecond pivot pin or bolt 11extends downwardly through the walls 7a and through an opening formedvertically in the block 9 and indicated at 9n in Figure 2. By this meansthe lever 7 is mounted for pivotal movement in a vertical plane byrevolving on the pivot pin 10 as a center, and is equipped for lateralswinging movement by being mounted on the pivot pin 11.

An extension from the supporting post 8 is shown at 12 as projectinghorizontally to a second supporting post 13, which latter is positionedbeneath a crank arm and adjacent the pitman. The member 12 has a seriesof openings 12a extending laterally therethrough, which serve asoptional points for the positioning of the pivot pin 10. In the viewsillustrated pivot pin 10 extends through one of the series of openings12a in a line with the post 8.

Power means for moving the lever 7 and actuating the drill rope isprovided by the following assembly of parts. 14 indicates a bearingmounted above the post 13. A crank 15 extends through the bearing 14 andhas a crank arm 16 secured to rotate with it and to carry a crank pin 17projectingl laterally from it. The pin 17 is adapted to turn in andslidably move within the slot and to bear against the walls thereof 7c.A driven wheel 15, illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, is connected to theshaft 15 and is driven by a stationary internal combustion engine 18through a`pulley 19.

Y mamie Means for controlling the supply of fuel to the engine isprovided by a lever 20 mounted at the tower and near the drill rope andconnected by a control belt 21 to a throttle valve 22.

With the type of equipment illustrated, the engine provides asubstantially uniform speed and is not subject to'variation in the rateof speed. In other Words, it is constant from the time the engine isstarted to the time it is stopped. In combination with this type of'power unit the invention provides for the gradual application of powerduring the upward movement of the drill rope and the relatively quickdropping of the drill rope and tool. This effect is due to the slot inthe end next adjacent the pitman connection. It has been found that bythe present invention a motion is transmitted to the walking beam vforthe upward movement of the drill cable, which is onethird faster thanthe usual practice and this I is due to the gradual application andincrease of power and. speed during the upward stroke. At the same timethe crank shaft and engine operate at a steady rate ot' speed. It willthus be seen that in one revolution of the crank shaft and crank pin,two distinct speeds of motion are reduced within the lever 7 andaccording y transmitted through the pitman to the walking beam andcable. In addition the lever may be swung away from the crank pin at anytime regardless of the speed of the engine, a feature which is due tothe double pivotal mounting of the lever onthe pins 10 and 11.

I claim: l

v1. In a drilling rig having a walking beam and a pitman connected tosaid walk.- ing beam, the combination of a support, a block, means forpivotally mounting said block on said support for oscillation in avertical plane, and a lever for connecting said pitman anda crank armand mounted on Said block for pivotal movement vertically with saidblock and laterally with respect to said block.

2. In a drilling rig having a walking beam and a pitman connected tosaid walking beam, the combination of a support, a block mounted on saidsupport for pivotal movement in a vertical plane, an upright pivotmember connected to said block and adapted to oscillate in a verticalplane, and a lever mounted on said block and pivotally movable in avertical plane on the axis of said block and pivotally movable laterallyabout the axis of said pivot member.

3. In a drilling rig having a walking beam and a pitman connected tosaid walking beam, the combination of a support, a block mounted on saidsupport for pivotal movement in a vertical plane, a lever mounted onsaid block and pivotally movable in a vertical plane on the axis of saidblock. and

connecting means engaging said lever and .said block and extending atright angles to the axis of said block and permitting pivotal movementof the lever laterally on said connecting means as an axis.

4. A drilling rig comprising a walking beam, a pitman connected to saidwalking beam, a support, a lever mounted on sai support for pivotalmovement vertically and ylaterally and coupled to said pitman and havina slot therein extending laterally theret rough and ylengthwise thereof,a revoluble crank arm having a pin` in said slot, and a substantiallyuniform speed source of power coupled to said crank arm for revolvingthe pin.

5. In a drilling rig, a support, a block, a pin pivotally mounting saldblock on said support, a lever for connecting a crank arm und a walkingbeam pitman, which `lever has a first slotted opening for the receptionof a. crank pin and a second slotted opening for the reception thereinof Said block, and

' a second pivot pin engaging said 'block and the walls of said slottedopening for locking said block in any predetermined position lengthwiseof said second slotted o ening.

6. In a drilling rig, a support aving a series of openings transversallytherethrough, a block, a pin pivotally mounting said block on saidsupport and passing through one of said series of openings, a lever forconnecting a crank arm and walking beam pitman, which leverl has a firstslotted opening for the reception of a crank pin and a second slottedcepti'on of said block, said second slotted opening extending and theupper and lower Walls having a series of openings therethrough andarranged lengthwise thereof, and a second pivot pin engaging said blockand. one of the openings in slotted o ening for locking said block inany pre etermined position lengthwise of said second slotted opening.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

l WALTER Z. AL EN.

the walls of said second opening for the relaterally therethrough

